On the hunt for a noisy houseguest

If a squirrel sneaks into a house, it will likely give itself away by making a lot of noise. (David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/File 2005)

Q. Help! I have an animal in my house, and I cannot identify it. Its sounds are rather loud, like a thumping noise, but intermittent. I have had three pest control companies out to see if they could locate the critter, but they could find no trace of it. I can hear it under the floor and in the wall, this has been going on for a year. I plan to cover all suspected holes, including some in my neighbor's adjoining house, to see what will happen. I have put down d-CON for mice, with some success. What are my other options?

BOTHERED IN SUBURBIA

A. Mice can make a racket much greater than their size warrants, and rats, heaven forbid, may be quieter. Squirrels are more active, and if you have ever heard a squirrel jump onto a roof, they make a big thump, especially with their maximum jump of 15 feet. Could be a possum or raccoon, but I doubt it; an animal that size might not fit. Also most animals, except rodents, would be delighted to be outdoors on days like these rare days in June.

What animal could survive in a wall or under the floor without food, unless he is finding mice to eat. Which brings me to one more stab: A snake or other reptile, which can go for long periods without food, and which would find mice delectable. Find another pest control person.

Finally, here comes the Handyman's appeal to all those readers out there who might have other brilliant ideas. The Handyman and Bothered would love to hear from you.

Q. Our 1927 Dutch Colonial revival has gutters on the second-floor eaves and on the first-floor eaves. When the upper gutters are clogged, they drip down into the lower gutters. Can I simply remove the upper gutters so that I'll only have to clean the ones on the lower level?

JOHN, from Newton, by e-mail

A. Yes, I see no reason for the upper gutters, which are only on the break of the gambrel roof, where the upper roof, a shallow one, meets the lower roof, the steep one. Well, there may be a reason: The upper gutters keep the lower gutters from overflowing. Without the upper gutter, you will get a rather severe torrent of water cascading down to the lower gutter. If that torrent is too much, you can put the upper gutters back or install bigger gutters on the bottom. If you put the upper gutters back, you can cover both gutters with some sort of screens to keep out debris. Many of them work.

Q. Speaking of gutters, I am about to re-oil mine after a hard winter, but I have forgotten the formula. Do you remember it?

JOHN GODDARD, Medfield

A. Remember, heck, I originated it, but that is what all the handymen say. Half boiled linseed oil, half paint thinner. Stir it thoroughly so it penetrates the wood and does a better job of waterproofing. You can substitute turpentine for the paint thinner, but it is more expensive and really smells - strong, not bad.

Q. How can I get an orange-peel finish on a plasterboard wall? Adding sand to the paint will not work. Neither will a fluffy roller. I tried using a fluffy roller, and at first the paint did look like orange peel, but then before my eyes the paint ran down the wall, obliterating the orange-peel look.

HAZEL DAVIS, Destrehan, La.

A. That's the finish they put on refrigerators, so you could call one of the manufacturers to ask for its secret. I tried to think what finish my new Amana refrigerator has, and I'll be whiskered if I know. I checked and yes, it is orange-peel finish, but the dishwasher and stove are smooth. One colleague was not sure about his refrigerator, another said she thinks hers has it. They both forgot to check. Geez.

Check with a paint store to see if there are rollers especially for such a finish. I checked using Google and got a dozen hits out of 642,000. One of them said you have to spray on a compound (what is a compound?), for a textured finish, then paint. If you have a computer, you can Google "orange-peel finish" for more information. Since a thick roller gave a temporary finish before melting, I suggest you find another paint that is faster drying. Or a texture paint that will hold its form. I also think that it is harder to get an orange-peel finish on a soft surface such as painted plasterboard than the steel of a refrigerator.

Q. I am painting my painted interior walls. Do I have to wash them first? Ceilings, too? I already have dry-mopped them and they look pretty good.

READY TO PAINT

A. So go right ahead. If the wall is drywall (plasterboard), the finish is quite soft, and difficult to wash, especially ceilings. So, two thin coats will do it. If you think one coat will be enough, don't try to put on a thick coat; thin coats will do it. Chances are the one coat will not; I have found a second coat is always needed. And here is a good trick for ceilings: Glidden - and I am sure other manufacturers - has developed a ceiling paint that goes on pink, then turns white as it dries. This is obviously to allow the painter to avoid "holidays," spots that he missed with the paint. This is a great idea, but be warned as I was by a reader who said he painted his bathroom ceiling with such paint, and when he took a shower later the paint went back to pink from the humidity. When it dried out, it returned to white.

Q. I bought a house that has a brick chimney top that curves to a peak with both ends open, sort of like a pup tent. I hired a chimney sweep last fall who said that this style top is no longer used and that ours should be removed and replaced with another kind of chimney cap. He said that the wind will swirl inside during a rainstorm and bring the rain down the chimney. He said that the damper has already rusted out and needs to be replaced and the brick mortar should be replaced with fireplace mortar. Is this correct? Can a chimney cap be installed inside the pup tent? And is it possible for me to install a chimney cap and/or damper myself? I'm fairly decent at d-i-y but I don't want to create a fire hazard.

DAVID ARBO, by e-mail

A. I really do not think you have to get rid of that interesting, stylish chimney cap. I suggest you have the sweep install a new damper. And if the brick he is talking about is in the firebox, then he can replace the mortar with fire clay, which is what heat-resistant mortar is called.

But I think this is what you can do: Inspect the flue (the hole in the chimney) under the cap. If there is no 2-inch liner coming up out of it, then install a short clay chimney liner at the top of the flue, or flues, inside that pup tent cap. The sweep is right in that blown water will indeed flow down the chimney if there is no lip. A 2-inch lip will stop it.

Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in the Styles Section on Thursdays. He is available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to Boston.com Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.